Run
by originalordermember
Summary: Inside, there were only two words written.  Help me.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

_She let her hands slide through his silky, golden locks slowly, reveling in the way it felt between her fingers. It was so soft and clean and unlike anything she had ever felt before. Even Ron's hair, fiery and soft as it was had nothing on his hair._

"_Draco.." his name left her mouth as a hiss as his lips, feather soft and warm, left a gentle trail down her neck and his hands, strong and warm with thin fingers, burned a path up and down her sides through her shirt. Whenever he touched her, whether it be their hands accidently brushing when they reached for the same thing in Potions class, or his hands running over her when they were tangled together in the Room of Requirement, her body was always on fire and her senses alive._

"_Mione…" he muttered into her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist. She loved how his voice sounded when they were caught up like this. Deep and rich, and gravelly, filled with passion and lust and love… she moaned and pulled on his arms, clawing into his skin with her fingernails. Begging him to give her everything he had and more, wanting to feel his skin on hers. Wanting to be a part of him, even if it could never happen again, she wanted one moment, where she was the only thing on his mind, where she was the only girl in his world._

_That's all she had wanted since the first day of their seventh year on the Hogwarts Express. The summer had done the young Malfoy good when it came to his looks, and it seemed as though he wasn't as cold hearted as he had been in years past, which seemed odd to her at first, but as she gazed at him over the top of A History of Magic, it didn't seem as odd to her for some reason. Something about him was different. Something important had changed, and she wanted to know what it was._

_He seemed happier, with a nicer attitude, and more charm. And when he smiled, it lit up his whole face, and reached his clear gray eyes. It was as if everything was alright, and it was being shown by the sparkle his eyes._

_They had talked that day; really talked they talked about everything, without throwing one insult at each other. Not one "Mudblood" or "slimy ferret" had passed their lips. He apologized for all of the years of insults he had sent her way, and she did the same. A sort of truce had passed between them that day. They had to live together for the whole year, so they needed that... the calm before the storm._

_His soft fingertips found the rim of her shorts, and slipped under the fabric slowly, starting to pull them down carefully. His lips found the soft skin of her thighs gently, and she moaned. She loved the feelings he gave her. It was like a mix of love, passion, lust and happiness all wrapped into one intense feeling that burned inside of her, like a light from a Deluminator, warm in her stomach and heart._

"_Mm... Draco..." she moaned, closing her eyes slowly as he slid her shorts off. They were his green and silver silk boxers with the Slytherin emblem embroidered onto them. She loved those boxers so much._

"_The Gryffindor Princess doesn't wear panties?" he said, a smirk in his voice as he let her shorts drop to the ground. "I'll have to remember that in Potion's class."_

"_Mm..." she said, a small smile gracing her lips. They sat together in Potions and the way the tables were set up... "Please..."_

"_Please what?" he asked, teasing her with his fingertips gently, smiling and kissing her thigh again._

"_Make love to me." she moaned, pushing herself down against his hand and arching her back. He pushed her back down into the pillows, and she pulled him back up her body, using his sliver and green tie as a lure._

"_You're mine, Mione." He mumbled, kissing her neck as she loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. "No one else can have you, because you're mine."_

_She pushed his shirt off his shoulders, and slid her hands down his smooth back slowly, loving the way they fit together, like a puzzle piece. Every curve matched his every angle perfectly, like they were carved from the same stone, and separated down the middle._

_He started to slide her shirt up as she worked at his belt, and pulled down his zipper, sliding down his pants and boxers. He lifted her arms above her head, and she slid her feet up, letting them finish sliding his pants down._

"_Miss Granger, no bra either?" he mumbled, pulling her shirt over her head. "Ten points from Gryffindor for inappropriate exposure."_

_She laughed softly, and he spread her legs carefully, laying in between them. He raised himself on his forearms and kissed her lips softly, pushing against her. She kissed him back, and as he slipped inside of her slowly, she dug her fingernails into his shoulder blades, crying out in ecstasy._

Hermione's eyes shot open, and darted around her room. Her dream had been so real, she would've believed it if she had woken up to the stone walls and ceiling beams of the Head's Tower. But instead, she woke up to her angled ceiling with plaster covering sheet rock.

She laid back into her pillows, sighing in disappointment, and tracing the striped pattern on her blankets slowly. She had wanted the white one with the pretty little purple flowers on it, but Ron had refused, and argued that he didn't want to seem "Colorful." To which she responded with "Honestly, Ronald, no one will even be in our room except for us, and maybe the kids." But he kept fighting against it, and finally, she had just gotten tired of arguing with him, and given in. Even though he was satisfied, it wasn't what she wanted.

None of this was what she wanted.

She looked down at the engagement ring sparkling on her left hand. The large diamond winked up at her, shining in the moonlight that was streaming through the window of their tiny cottage. The diamond seemed to be saying "now that you've said yes, you can't take it back." No matter how much she wanted to, she made a commitment, and she always honored commitments.

But was love a commitment if she didn't share the feelings Ron had for her? Because if it was, then she would honor it, and marry Ron. But if it was a matter of her happiness, she had to do something.

She looked over at the slumbering red head next to her, and sighed. She knew that he wasn't the one for her. There was only one man that she wanted, and she had no idea where he was. He had been taken prisoner after the war, because of his Death Eater status. He wasn't in Azkaban though, she knew that much. Her job at the Ministry allowed her to access the list of prisoners being held in the isolated Azkaban. He was not on that list.

Unable to fall back to sleep because of the thoughts filling her head, she sat up in bed, and looked at her clock on the night stand. Three a.m. She had to be awake in two hours anyway to see Ron off on his business trip he was taking with George. Then she had to get ready for work, so why bother going back to sleep?

As she swung her legs around the edge of their bed and wrapped a blanket around herself, Ron let out a soft snore, and rolled towards her, his hand landing on her empty pillow. She sighed, and stood up before heading out of their room, listening to her feet pad across the floor slowly. It was a small comfort in the silence of their house. Usually, Pig was flittering about in his cage, but tonight he and Abraxas, Hermione's handsome Great Horned Owl, were out hunting. Ron had let them out, in hopes of a good night's sleep before he had to leave. Little did he know, the owls helped Hermione sleep.

She walked into the kitchen, and opened up the window over the sink, looking out into the dark December night. Little bits of snow were beginning to fall, standing prominent against the dark night. She smiled. She had always loved snow, ever since she was a little girl. It was just magical, in a way, and remarkable how no two snowflakes were alike. Like people, everyone was different, no two people were exactly the same.

She flicked her wand, which she had left on the kitchen counter (a stupid mistake on her part) and made a plate of warm cookies and a cold glass of milk appear. Normally she would reprimand this, but after a dream like that, she needed some comfort food.

As she munched on a cookie, she slipped her engagement ring down off of her finger and studied it carefully. It was gold, she hated gold, with a large diamond in the center, surrounded by other diamonds. It was lovely, and it cost a pretty Galleon, but she wasn't very fond of it. Ron had wanted to prove how much he was making as an Auror, and found a ring that represented that well. She understood, but she wasn't one to show off money.

There was a loud screech, and her owl flew through the open kitchen window with a small envelope clenched in his beak. The envelope bore the Malfoy family crest on it, something she hadn't seen in years. Her heart immediately started pumping faster. She was getting anxious, and her hands were starting to shake.

She took another sip of milk, trying to ease her shaking hands a little before she picked up the letter. She broke the seal carefully, and opened the intricate folds. Inside, there were only two words written.

Help me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"Mione?" Ron's voice said from their hallway. Hermione looked up from her place on the couch, her eyes red. She had moved from the kitchen to the living room a few minutes after she had gotten her letter, and she had sat down and cried for a good twenty minutes. How could she help him? She didn't even know where he was, or what was wrong.

"Mione? What's wrong, love?" Ron asked her softly. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to her, pulling her onto his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and began to cry again. Thoughts of Draco were flooding her mind. Ron had never known about her feelings for Draco, so she couldn't show him the note, even though she wanted to very much.

"J-Just don't w-want you to leave." She lied, wrapping her arms around him. She needed to milk this for all it was worth, and hide what was really on her mind. It shouldn't be too hard. Sometimes he was so thick when it came to people's feelings that she had no idea how he passed the interrogation part of his Auror exam when he had joined the department. He couldn't tell a lie from the truth for all the Droobles in the world.'

"Don't cry, love." He said lifting her chin with his index finger. "I'll only be gone for a week. George needs to scout out competition products, and he needs my help, otherwise I wouldn't be going at all. I want to stay here with you."

Hermione wiped her eyes, and sat up. Ron really was sweet, but she still only saw him like a best friend. There was nothing there for her. She just didn't reciprocate his feelings. Sure, he was someone to lean on, but that was because he was an amazing friend to her, and she needed that a lot.

He looked down at his watch, and he cleared his throat. "I told George I would meet him at the shop at five thirty… so I should probably go. I love you, Mione."

"I love you too." She said, quietly and monotone. He kissed her lips, and she kissed him back. She needed to put on a show until she figured out her decision.

He kissed her lips one more time and buttoned up his flannel shirt before spinning on the spot. With a loud crack, he was gone, and she was left alone, with her thoughts filled with Draco. Where was he? Why was he in trouble? What did he do? Her mind was flooded, and running out of air. She had to respond to the letter.

She sent Pig off with a letter to the Ministry, deciding to take a sick day. She couldn't possibly go to work like this, looking and feeling the way she was, she wouldn't be able to focus, there was no way. Especially when her job was so demanding. As a Magical Lawyer, she needed complete focus on her cases, no matter how minor the charge. Right now she didn't have a case anyway. It was so close to Christmas, that crime rates had dropped a little.

She whistled, and Abraxas flew to her side, landing on the couch cushion next to her. He ruffled his dark brown feathers, twisting his head a little and hooting lowly. He really was rather handsome, with silky feathers that he kept so clean, they shone under the lights in her living room.

"Do you want to take a letter to Draco for me?" she said, stroking the feathers on his back absently. He cooed at her and blinked, and she pulled out a piece of parchment, and her ink pot. Carefully, using her best hand, she wrote seven numbers, and two words.

10:00 am

372 Aristotle Lane.

She folded the parchment into an intricate square, and held it up to the bird. He clamped his beak down onto it, and then stretched his great wings before taking off, soaring out the window. She looked at the clock on the mantle of her fire place, which was surrounded by pictures of her and Ron. Nine thirty. The hours had passed quicker than usual it seemed, and she was filled with anticipation as to what would meet her when and if he came to call on her when she told him too.

When she was out of the shower, she dressed in a casual, yet dressy way, wearing a purple v-neck sweater with a white tank top underneath, over a pair of dark wash jeans. He had always loved it when she dressed like a Muggle. She remembered a lot of things about him, and it surprised her how much she thought she had forgotten until being forced to remember.

After magically straightening her hair, she looked herself over in the mirror, smoothing down her sweater, and then, for one more finishing touch, she went into her jewelry box, and felt around blindly for the chain she couldn't see. When she felt the cool metal, she picked it up, and watched as the silver locket materialized out of seemingly thin air.

She cradled it in her hand, and looked at the back, there he had had "You my love, are the sun" engraved into it in fancy script. He told her that often when they were together, because she was the "the light in the dark times he was facing." She knew he was being forced into becoming a Death Eater, and still she stayed with him, and brought happiness to him.

Hermione was in her living room at exactly 9:59, and her heart was racing. How much had he changed? What was going on in his life? And most importantly, why did he need her?

The flames in the fireplace glowed green, and the slim figure of Draco Malfoy appeared. He staggered forward a few steps, and fell face first into the couch, breathing hard, his face twisted in pain. His robes were torn, and stained red.

"Hello 'Mione." He said between breaths and twitches of agony.

Her hands flew to cover her mouth, and she gasped, taking in his appearance. A red stain was growing on both the back and front of his white shirt, and his hands were sticky with blood that was draining out of a large gash on his shoulder. He was trying to hold it closed with little avail. His pants were ripped, with little bloodstains on them, and Hermione was frozen, shocked at his appearance.

"What happened?" she asked in horror, rushing over to the couch. He was losing blood fast, and she had to be quick. She helped him ease onto his back, and he started to tremble. He was nearly in shock.

"Death Eaters…" he said shakily. She tore open the front of his shirt, and peeled the ruined fabric off of him, beginning to search through the blood for gashes. They weren't exactly hard to find. He gasped in pain as she pulled a large bit of glass out of one of his several gashes, and peeled the bits of torn fabric out of them. He was lucky she wasn't using peroxide on them.

He was going to black out very soon.

Luckily, most of his gashes and numerous cuts were clean wounds, so all Hermione was mumble a spell, and trace over the gashes with the tip of her wand. She watched as they closed slowly.

"Death Eaters?" she asked softly, looking at him and starting to close the gash in his shoulder. There was going to be a great deal of scarring.

"Yeah." Draco moaned in pain. "They're after me, Mione."

"But they're all in Azkaban?" there was silence in response to this question, and Hermione looked up. "Draco?"

He was passed out from the pain now. She half smiled, and brushed his hair out of his face, wrapping up his torso with some gauze and medical tape, just to make sure no blood seeped through the, still fresh, wounds. She cleaned off his chest carefully, and levitated him into her room, laying him on her bed gently and pulling a blanket over him, kissing his cheek as she did so.

Draco slept all day, and Hermione was left alone, so she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, and whistled to her owl. He flew to her side just as she finished her note.

"Will you take this to Harry for me?" she asked

The bird clamped the note into his beak, and took off, soaring out the window through which he came.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three;

_Hermione,_

_This is top secret, classified information. I trust that you will not say anything to anyone at all, I can lose my job for disclosing this information._

_Saturday at approximately six in the evening, there was a breakout from Azkaban. All of the old names are included on the list of the escapees. Malfoy, RudolphusLestrange..all of the ones that weren't killed in the final battle, or in the high security cells, basically._

_We have reason to believe that they are after someone. Someone who escaped from the castle three years ago, and was on their side. Someone that we went to school with, and had suspicions about since day one, even though he proved me, and you, wrong._

_Draco Malfoy. _

_I understand that he is staying at your house, now? I don't need to know why. I don't care why. I know that you had feelings for him in Hogwarts, or whatever. I'm your best friend; I saw the way you looked at him._

_Because I am your best friend, I am telling you right now, you need to get yourself out. Take him, and run. Go somewhere that no one knows about, just for a while. You are in extreme danger right now, and I don't want something to happen to you, and if he makes you happy, I don't want anything to happen to him either. You are both in extreme danger until we can catch all of these Death Eaters, and shut them back in Azkaban._

_I am owling Ron as soon as I finish this answer to you, we need him back at the department in the next day. We are heading out to France tomorrow, to see if we can start finding out where they all went. After they broke out of the prison, they disappeared. No one knows where they are, but we do have an idea. And I can't tell you where it is, that is strictly confidential._

_I'll tell Ron that you were afraid of being found because you're a Muggleborn, he will be convinced, and I will tell him that you went into hiding, and you didn't even tell me where you went, so the chances of him finding you are very slim. I'll also tell Kingsley. He is the minister, and I can tell him that you discovered Malfoy, and he said he needed to be hidden. If needed, you can tell me where you are, and I can send you a guard. I don't think that will be necessary though, you and Malfoy are very capable at holding your own until Aurors arrive, should anything happen._

_My suggestion to you is to go somewhere only you know, and disguise yourselves the moment you get there, that way you can be ensured protection. Don't answer any owls from anyone except for me; don't connect your place to the Floo Network, and use caution in Apparating. There are still Death Eater connections within the Ministry, and if they want Draco badly enough, they will do whatever it takes to find him, and then they will know you are with him and put you at even more of a risk._

_Leave as soon as you can. I'll be in touch soon._

_Harry._

The letter fluttered from Hermione's hands, and landed on the table. They needed to hide, but where? Where could they go that no one knew about? How would they get there? By train? Apparation? Her mind was frazzled, this was all just too much for her to handle.

"Mione?" his voice said softly, pulling her out of her thoughts. One of his hands began to slide up and down her back slowly. "What's wrong, love?"

She buried her face in her hands, and slid the sheet of parchment over to him. He glanced at it with curious eyes.

"You're still friends with Potty and Weaselbee?" he said, looking at the signature as he sat down across from her. Hermione just sighed, and hid her face in her arms, closing her eyes and tracing circles into the solid cherry of her kitchen table. Her mind was just so full of questions, and none of them had answers. This was a time when she would usually go back to the library at Hogwarts, however, none of the questions had answers. None of them could be answered through countless hours of reading, like she wished they could be.

"So, what are we going to do?" his voice cut through her bubble of momentary solitude, and she slowly lifted her head, resting her chin on her arms and looking at him with her warm, brown eyes. She sighed.

"There's only one place I can think of going." She said, moving so she was sitting with her head resting in her hands. Draco stood up, and retook his place behind her, rubbing her shoulders gently. She leaned back into him, loving the way he still knew exactly how he needed to calm her down. He had learned that early on in their seventh year, when they were studying and she was having a breakdown.

"Where would that be?" he asked, leaning down and kissing her shoulder gently. He rested his chin there, and she turned, kissing his cheek.

"I don't know if it's the safest place, but no one knows about it." She said as he continued rubbing her shoulders.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The cottage was smaller than she remembered. It was just big enough for two people and a child to live in without butting heads often, but small enough so that it was confined into a small clearing, deep in the heart of the woods on Mount Marcy.

"_Homenum revelio_." She whispered, aiming her wand at the door. Draco gripped her hand a little tighter, waiting for the sounds of shuffling feet, or a crash from inside the cottage. After a moment, when there was none, he relaxed his grip, and they both let out a breath of relief. Hermione turned to Draco. "Why don't you take our things inside, and I'll set up protective enchantments?"

He nodded, and disappeared into the cottage, carrying their two suitcases in hand. They were safe. But for how long? They had gotten a Port Key from the Ministry, then wiped the issuer's memory. But can Death Eaters undo memory charms, or us Occlumency to get a hold of where they had gone?

Hermione was scared, there was no doubt about it. Her hands trembled as she set the enchantments, she could see the tip of her wand shaking. She didn't want anything to happen to herself, or to Draco, and she didn't want to hurt Ron in the process of falling in love with Draco again. She was, as the Muggles say "up the creek without a paddle." She had no way to fix things without hurting someone.

She let out a shrill whistle, and Abraxas flew to her. She had told him where to go the night before they left, and he had arrived at almost the exact same time he did, even though he had to fly over the ocean. He was tired, she could tell that he was when he landed on her shoulder, and hid his head under his wing.

"Sleep." She said to him quietly. "Then you can go out hunting tonight. You won't need to send any letters for me any time soon."

He cooed at her softly, and closed his eyes for a moment, then he took off and soared through the door that Draco had left open for her. Through the little window next to the door, she could see him land on the banister of the staircase, leading to a basement, and he closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

Hermione had forgotten how small the cottage was. It was a simple one, though. Divided into five bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small living area. Then there was a basement, used for a storm cellar. She loved that house so much, and she was glad that it came into her possession when she was of age. She explored each of the rooms slowly, reminiscing on her childhood, and recalling times that she had long since forgotten. Like her father teaching her how to wash dishes, and splashing her with the soap at the sink when she was little, and when they had a cat, building block towers for him, and letting him knock them over. She wondered what had come of her old room, if it was still the same..and she also wondered where the time had gone.

Just a few days ago, it felt like, she was a little girl, running around and playing with blocks, and now, she was running from Death Eaters that were after the man she was in love with. It was quite a change for her. How time goes so quickly, she had no idea, and she wasn't willing to find out. It was all moving too fast for her, and the settings had changed so dramatically.

She walked to her old bedroom slowly, wondering what she would find. But what she saw swept her back in time, into a memory. She was four years old again, being tucked into her purple bed with her brown teddy bear. Her father was telling her a bedtime story, about a girl, and a prince, and a mean witch that kept her locked in a tall, tall tower. That was when she thought magic was just a thing of the imagination. Now, she knew differently.

A pair of soft lips touched her shoulder, and arms wrapped around her waist. She sank back into Draco's chest, sighing, still staring at the purple toddler bed, and the brown teddy bear that was resting in the center of the pillow. She looked over the pale pink furniture, and her toy box, over flowing, just like it used to. A tear escaped her eye. How she wished life was that simple again.

"This was my room." She said quietly, putting her hands over his. He rested his chin on her shoulder, and nuzzled her neck. He always knew when she needed affection, and what amount she wanted. He had had a talent for that since day one. "When I was younger, we used to spend the summers here. This is basically, where I grew up."

"Tell me about it." He said to her, scooping her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he carried her to the big, squishy arm chair by the fire. He sat down, shifting her weight so she was balanced on his lap, and she leaned back into his chest.

"We always got here on Mondays." She said, closing her eyes and letting the time stop, and rewind. "Every year. It didn't matter what date it was, it was always a Monday. Mum and dad would fill the refrigerator with lemonade and milk and sweet iced tea, and then we would go for a walk to the pond that's in the woods behind the house. There were usually a few deer there, so dad would bring an apple or two for me to give them. They knew that we weren't going to hurt them." She stopped and nuzzled his neck, taking his hand and playing with his fingers gently.

"During the week, we would always go outside, and hike, and fish.." she continued, after a moment. "I made up silly games with rocks and sticks that dad would come play while mum took pictures. And every Friday, dad would start a fire in the house, because it gets cold up here at night, and we would read together. He would sit with me on his lap, and read me a book, or tell me a story. Most of the books we read were educational books, but he always read me children's stories here. Always. He said that this was my time away from home to just be a child."

"That sounds lovely." Draco said into her ear softly. He took a lock of her hair and started twisting it around his finger gently. "That's probably why you turned out so wonderful."

"You're sweet." She said, smiling. He kissed her forehead, and she yawned.

"Sleep, 'Mione." He said, returning her smile. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, nodding. And a few minutes later, her breathing slowed, and Draco knew she had fallen asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The lights of Paris washed over the man's features, casting a shadow on his face. He was here to meet someone, a lady friend of his whom he had grown quite attached to in the previous year. He was dressed in his best, a tuxedo that he had bought with his newest source of income. He had gone through a job change, and it had provided him with a little extra money, so he treated himself.

He was also in love, but not with his fiancée. He had thought for many years that she was the one for him, but he had met another, while he was out on the job. Another witch, who entranced him the moment she said hello to him. He had fallen for her quite instantly, and the only reason that he was staying with her fiancée, is the simple reason that he didn't want to hurt her.

His face lit up as she bounced down the street, he always truly smiled when he saw her slim frame. She was always so happy, and smiling, and she always cheered him up immensely whenever they were together. She was so beautiful, and she always dressed up. She always wore some sort of skirt, or a dress, and if she went casual, she went classy casual, wearing slacks and a blouse. She never wore jeans and t-shirts. He really, truly loved her with everything that he had in him. She was the one, and she loved him just as much.

"_Bonne soir, mon fleur. Tu es tres belle ce soir. Je t'aime_." He said, smiling and greeting her with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Working on your French." She said with a smile. He let his hands glide through her dark black hair and trace down her back and sides, settling in the dip of her back. She was so different from his fiancée, but so beautiful.

"A little, yeah." He said, smiling. "I needed to impress you somehow."

"You have already impressed me, Monsieur –"

He touched a finger to her lips, cutting her off before she said his name. "Shh. I am under cover." He said, quietly. She nodded in understanding, and took her place by his side, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"What do you have planned for tonight, amour?" she said as they set off towards the Eiffel Tower. There was a small tent pitched there, that he had borrowed from a friend. "Is our time limited, once again?"

"I'm afraid so." He said, sighing. He was upset that he had to leave, due to the nature of his job, but he was elated to have her by his side. He hadn't seen her in the last week, and it was about time for a visit. "I want to be able to spend more time with you, love. But I just can't right now. Work has got me so busy."

"_Je comprends..._ I understand." She said, sadly. "I like spending the time with you. It does not matter how much that is."

"I'm sorry, Evangeline." He said, softly. Using her full name. He stopped, and lifted her chin with his index finger, kissing her lips gently. He hated when she was upset because of something that he did. But it wasn't his fault, like he said; work had had him running overtime.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back slowly, running her hands through his hair and biting his lip gently. He slid his hands down her back slowly, playing with the fabric of her dress, rolling it between his fingers and scrunching it in his hands. He loved when she wore dresses, which was often.

"Je t'aime, mon belle." He said softly when they broke apart. He rested his forehead on hers. "I have a hotel, if you want to go."

She nodded her head and kissed his lips again. He hated his job. He hated the fact that every time he thought about her, he wondered if she thought that she was just a toy, being fucked in cheap hotel rooms, and nothing more. But she was so much more than that. She was his world, his entire world, and there was nothing that mattered to him more than her.

"I will bring you on a date, soon." He said, kissing her lips and continuing down the street. "And I intend to marry you."

Her face lit up, and he led her into the hotel. The woman at the front desk just waved him along with a smile, and he walked up the grand staircase to their room. This hotel wasn't a cheap one, but it was always the best for her. That's how it used to be with his fiancée, but that wasn't the case anymore. He could easily afford a house now, but they still lived in a flat overlooking London, because he didn't care as much as he used too. He only stayed because he didn't want to hurt her, but he was hurting her by having an affair. He was in a no win situation.

When they reached their room, he pressed her back against the door, and started to kiss her necksoftly. She giggled. He smiled against her skin and slid his hands up her body and over her chest, resting them on her shoulders, biting her neck gently.

"That tickles." She said, smiling and moaning softly.

"That means I'm doing it right." He said with a devilish grin. He moved his hands to her back and felt around for her zipper, pulling the slide down and watching the light blue material fall in a pool at her feet. She covered herself, like she always did, and he moved her arms. "You're beautiful." He said, kissing her lips.

She smiled, and started unbuttoning his shirt. Her small fingers worked quickly, and he ran his hands over every inch of her. When she pushed his shirt off of his shoulders, he lifted her up into his arms, pressing his lips to hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he carried her over to the bed, falling into the pillows, and being careful not to crush her.

He kissed down her neck and across her collarbone gently, and she pulled on his hair, letting out a deep breath and a moan. She pulled his face up to hers and slid her hands down his chest and into his dress pants. He moaned and bit her bottom lip gently.

"I love you, Ron."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Hermione woke up to a tapping on her window. The sun was dim, because of all of the trees that were around the cottage, but it was still streaming through gaps in the trees. There was a pair of strong arms around her waist, and her blankets smelled like fire from a wood stove. She rolled over, looking at the man next to her, suddenly aware of where she was. She smiled in content, and then rolled back over towards the window. She squinted in the light a little bit, but then she recognized the dark shape of an owl, tapping its beak on the window.

She didn't feel like rolling out of bed at that moment, so she picked up her wand, and flicked it, opening up the window and letting in the bird. She didn't recognize it, but it was carrying a letter with Harry's hand writing on it. He had written her with news.

She sat up a little, trying not to wake Draco, who was still sleeping peacefully next to her. His body was covered with scars now. A long one cut diagonally across his chest, and there was a vertical one on his shoulder, along with numerous smaller ones on his chest. His back had three long scars, cutting horizontally and vertically through his pale skin. He was self-conscious of it, but Hermione just thought it made him look tough, and he accepted it, even if it was with bitterness. His distaste for the Death Eaters he once called his friends had grown throughout the years, especially when he looked back on everything that they did wrong to Muggle-borns, and half-bloods, and everyone else. At least that's what he told Hermione.

In a way, she felt sorry for him. He had to go through all of the bad things in his life, because of what his parent's believed in. He was confined to his house his whole seventeenth year, because his parents had "betrayed" Voldemort, and it was their punishment. He hadn't even had the chance to have a proper childhood, and make other friends.

Hermione took the letter from the bird, and pointed to the kitchen, where he would find a bowl of water. The owl looked at her with intelligent eyes, and then stretched his great wings, soaring into the kitchen as Hermione hastily opened up the letter.

_Hermione,_

_I used an anonymous owl, because I am at risk as much as you are. If anyone finds this information, or intercepts the owls, we're both as good as dead._

_We're scraping here at the Auror office, looking about the country side for clues. It almost reminds me of when we had to find the horcruxes. We've been all over the countryside, trying to find anything useful. We've discovered traces, but not any important, or useful leads. A "witness" account here and there, and scraps of cloaks, traces of plans… we've even searched the Malfoy place ten times over. There's nothing there either. No diaries with plans, no maps of their whereabouts…. They've done a good job covering their tracks this time. They are literally nowhere to be found, and that makes me nervous._

_Kingsley has us keeping a close eye on the Muggle news as well. There have been no disappearances in the three weeks since the break out. Which is unusual, unless their objectives have changed, which is doubtful. Usually they make their presence known. Maybe it is their lack of a leader? I'm not sure._

_This is going to be more difficult than we thought._

_Ron is fine. He's home now, helping the department out as best he can. He's good at inventing the tracking devices, and he's figured out how to put a trace on a few of the Death Eaters, even though their wands were confiscated when they were brought to Azkaban. They could have had others made, or stolen them from some innocent witch or wizard. _

_I hate being so in the dark about things like this, but it's not anyone's fault. I just want to know where they are and what they're doing. I don't want Ginny and James at risk, nor do I want the rest of the Weasley family at risk, because if I am a target, they are too._

_Ron also told me to tell you that he understands why you left and went into hiding, and he said to "stay put, and don't even think about coming home, I don't want her coming home, thinking she can help out somehow, and then ending up getting herself killed." And I don't want that to happen either, so please, don't leave wherever you are with Malfoy. Just stay there. We will come find you guys when all of this is over._

_Love,  
>Harry.<em>

Hermione folded the letter back up, and snuggled back down in the covers, moving close to Draco and resting her head on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, slower than normal, but it calmed her. While she listened, however, her mind was racing.

He was so different from who she remembered, Draco. Even the one she loved while she was in Hogwarts was still a bit mental, and sometimes said things he shouldn't. He still let the word "Mudblood" pass through his lips, never directed at her, but at others. And he always had managed to crack a joke about Harry and Ron. He always had a hot temper too, and he would completely lose it sometimes when something set him off. It could be something as simple as Hermione forgetting to refill his inkpot, or as complicated as some other bloke oogling her in the corridors when Draco was in sight. To the rest of the school, the Gryffindor Princess and the Slytherin King were just friends, nothing more, so he never reacted until later in the night when they were shut up in the Head's tower, alone.

Something had changed inside of him. He was more loving, and affectionate. He hadn't let his temper slip once, not since he had landed in her flat back in London. But she had a feeling that it was a bomb, ticking away seconds, waiting for the right moment to explode. And when it did, she was going to be ready for it. But for now, she would take his sweet, loving side over the temperamental man she knew that he truly was. She wondered what had changed him.

She traced over one of his scars, and studied his chest. They stuck out pink against his pale skin. Why had they done this to him? What was the reason behind it? Was he in some sort of trouble because he had gotten off without so much as a charge against him? And why was that his fault? Surely his parents were the ones to blame, forcing Draco to seek shelter with them after the final battle. They were too fearful of what was going to happen after the fact. They, technically hadn't done anything wrong. At least, Draco didn't. his parents were just supporters of the Dark Lord. In actuality, his father was the only true supporter, and that was until he became afraid of how far deep he was. Voldemort was drowning him in Dark magic and he didn't see any way out. At least, that's how Hermione had understood it when she had heard they escaped.

"You're thinking again." Draco mumbled, opening his eyes slowly and then shutting them again, protecting them from the bright light that was streaming through the window and between the trees.

"No." Hermione lied, shaking her head.

"Liar." He said back, twisting a lock of her hair on his finger slowly. "I know that face."

"Why are they after you, Draco?" she said softly, confessing what had been on her mind. Draco had always had that effect on her, one where she would tell him anything, and wasn't able to lie to him. Ron had never had that power over her.

Draco sighed. "I'll tell you soon, love. Soon."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Ron traced up and down Evangeline's arm softly and slowly, listening to her deep, even breathing. He had packed up all of Hermione's things, and taken down all the photographs for the time being, and invited Evangeline to live with him in the flat.

She didn't know about Hermione, and he wanted to keep it that way. He loved her more than he had ever loved anything in his life, and her happiness was essential to his own. At one time, it was Hermione's happiness that mattered the most too him. But not any longer. He didn't know when things had changed.

He supposed it was when he met Evangeline. That was when it had all started.

It was just a routine check on a chain of murders that the Aurors had to investigate. Three Muggle-borns had been murdered in the South of France, and the British Ministry had only been called upon because it involved an English family that was on vacation there. It was also relatively close to the end of the war, and they wanted to be sure that it had nothing to do with Dark Magic. The British Ministry had the most renowned Auror department in all of Europe, with the best Dark Magic detectors. It also had helped that they had the Boy-Who-Lived-Then-Died-Then-Lived-Again on their team as well. Harry had a certain pull with the Ministry officials.

Ron and Harry had gone into one of the houses to check around for clues that would help them determine who the perpetrator was. They split up to check the rooms on the upstairs while two others checked the downstairs. Ron had decided to check one of the smaller bedrooms while Harry checked the master bedroom. They were quite the team, Potty and the Weasel. That's what people called them who had known them at Hogwarts.

He heard a sob coming from one of the closets in the room, and he drew his wand, opening the door of one of them slowly. What he saw was heartbreaking, and not dangerous at all. He immediately lowered his wand.

She was huddled in the corner of the closet, shaking and crying uncontrollably, out of fear and sadness. His heart immediately went out to her, and he spoke to her in a low, comforting voice, easing her out of the closet and into better light.

"I'm one of the good guys." He said to the girl, who was obviously part Veela. He crouched down to her level. "Don't be afraid."

Harry Apparated directly into Ron's flat that morning, running a hand through his hair once he was inside. He had gotten a new lead. A small one, but still it was better than what they had previously had. Nothing. And it would give them a place to start.

Three Muggles had disappeared in West Ham, they were of no relation, and their bodies had not yet turned up. the Aurors knew that it was the work of Death Eaters. They were notorious for murder and torture, however, if they didn't want to be discovered, they wouldn't be. They covered their tracks well.

Harry looked around the flat that his two best friends shared, and noted how clean it was. Dishes were put away, and jackets hung. Even the floors were swept.

That was not typical Ron Weasley fashion.

That was how Hermione usually kept the flat, though. But now that she was on the run with Malfoy, he wasn't sure why Ron was keeping the place tidy. He pulled a hand through his hair again, and thought about Hermione. She was the only one that he had trusted telling about her past with Malfoy, and the only one that knew she still had feelings for him. He didn't want to see either of his friends hurting, but he knew that she deserved to be happy. And if that slippery blonde git was what it took, he would support her. Even though Ron would see it as a betrayal of Harry'd friendship.

He was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Ron?" he called out. He knew his best mate would be home. He spent a lot of his time there, now. "He's probably sleeping." He muttered.

He failed to notice the pair of shiny, silver high heels that were nothing like what Hermione would wear.

He wandered down the hallway, noting the missing pictures on the walls, and getting a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why had Ron taken down the photographs? They were all of he and Hermione. Did he know about Malfoy? And if he did, would he be mad when he found out that Harry knew too? Or was he just moving to a new part of London? Most importantly, why hadn't he woken up? Surely the crack of Apparation would wake a sleeping Auror?

He pushed open the bedroom door slowly, and was in shock at what he saw. Ron was sleeping, with a blonde wrapped around him tightly. He gasped, and Ron opened up his eyes.

"So, I see you're shacking up with a Veela." Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. He was angry with Ron, even though he knew of Hermione's affair with Malfoy. He still just couldn't believe it, and with that thought in his mind, he Disapparated back to Godric's Hollow and into the loving arms of his wife.

He was in a state when he got home, and the house was too. The dog was barking, James was crying, Ginny was trying to make him be quiet, and she was near tears herself. The tea kettle was whistling, and the clock was ticking. He immediately went to her, and wrapped his arms around her tight.

"I want to tell you something." He said to her quietly. She looked up at him as her tears began to spill over. She never, ever cried ever. "Its something that I haven't said in a long time, and I know that you need to hear it."

"What is it?" she said softly, so softly he barely heard her over the barking dog and his screaming son.

"I love you."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

_They had been fighting for almost three hours, and yet it didn't seem that long. Hermione had only returned to the castle Five hours ago, and even then she was with Ron and Harry. Her best friends. She hadn't had a sight of Draco yet, and that scared her. She missed him, and when she finally got the chance to see him, it had been in the least romantic way possible._

_The last time she had seen Draco, his Aunt Bellatrix had tortured her, and he could only stand there and watch. She didn't expect him to try to save her. He couldn't, or else his family would have surely killed or disowned him. His family was everything to him, and he was everything to her._

_Though, it would've been nice if he at least tried to do something about it. She understood, though._

_The castle shook, knocking her off balance for a split second. Ron and Harry had disappeared somewhere doing Merlin knows what, and she was left alone, navigating the deserted top floors of the castle, trying to locate the Head's tower, knowing that no one would be there. Her guard was up every single step of the way, though. She had cast more curses than she could count, or cared to remember as she made her way up the stairs. She was scared, but her fear was overcome by a surge of adrenaline, coursing through her veins and pushing her forward._

_A curse was fired at her from around the corner, and she deflected it quickly, backing up against the wall. She aimed her wand around the stone, and fired a Stinging Hex at random, hearing a thud. Checking to see if the coast was clear, and seeing no one she ran down the corridor to see the face of who she had attacked._

_The castle shook again, and brought her to her knees. She rested her hand on her forehead for a moment, and heard a crash from down the corridor, and a moan of pain from the person she had jinxed only a moment ago._

"_Mione.." the person said quietly, reaching out a hand to her. She went to him, and recognized the face of her boyfriend._

"_Draco!" she said, falling to her knees beside him and taking his hand. "I'm sorry! I didn't know who you were. If I knew it was you I wouldn't have cursed you."_

"_Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He said, stroking her hair. He sat up slowly. "I missed you, love."_

_She started crying. "I missed you too."_

"_How's Potty and Weaslebee?" he asked, snidely, standing up._

_She stood, and shrugged. "Alive, last I knew. Where are we going?"_

"_Broom cupboard. I need you." He said, leading her into a closet and kissing her slowly. Her skin tingled and a fire started to spread through her body the moment he touched her. "Please, Mione. We'll probably be dead by the morning. Let me ravish you one more time. Let me love you before we have to go back to being enemies."_

"_You don't have to go back to their side." She replied, softly. "Fight with me, instead of against me."_

"_He'll kill me." Draco said, attacking her neck. "I want to live long enough to have children with you. I want to marry you."_

"_But after this... if we meet in the battle.."_

"_I absolutely, will not, fight you. Or kill you." He said, pulling away from her and looking into her eyes. "Now please, Mione. Let me love you."_

_With the soft tone of his voice, she surrendered to him, and let him take her with so much love and passion, she was sure that she would explode from it._

"_You scum!" Ron shouted at Crabbe, shooting random curses at him. Harry was in a duel with Goyle, and Hermione was having a faux duel with Draco around the corner. "Mione!" Ron called._

"_On three, fall!" Hermione said. Draco nodded. "One. Two. Three!"_

_Draco fell just as Ron came around the corner, and Hermione sent a silent Stunning spell at the wall._

"_You alright?" he asked, wrapping her into his arms._

"_Fine." She said. There was no way she would've been able to hurt Draco, even if Ron had been watching her the entire time. "Malfoy is stunned. Where's Harry?"_

"_Around the corner, why?"_

"_I need to talk to him, only him, for five minutes." She said, pulling out of Ron's grip and rounding the corner in time to see Goyle go down. "Pull these three into that broom closet." She said, pointing to the cupboard where she and Draco had made love only minutes ago._

_Ron nodded, and she ran to Harry._

"_I couldn't do it!" she sobbed. "I couldn't hurt him."_

"_Why not?" Harry demanded. "After how awful he was to you? Really, Hermione?"_

"_Harry..."_

_She saw the realization cross on his face just as Ron turned the corner._

"_You and him..." Harry trailed off._

"_Don't be mad." She said softly._

"_Mad at wh –" Ron began, but he was cut off by a cold, clear voice._

"_You have all faught valiantly..."_

Hermione rolled over in her sleep, tightening her arms around the nearest object she had. It had been so long since she had dreamed like this, this vividly. And it had been even longer since she had dreamed a flashback. She didn't know why it was happening so suddenly.

Harry woke with a start, and looked over at his sleeping wife. He stood, slowly, not wanting to wake her, and tip-toed across the room and down the hall to the room where his son was sitting, awake, in the middle of his crib, staring out the door.

"Hey there James." He said quietly. James smiled as his father scooped him up out of the crib and into his arms. "I need to talk to you for a moment."

The baby looked at his father intently, listening to him.

"Uncle Ron is being mean to Aunt Hermione." Harry said quietly, knowing that his son didn't understand, but needing someone to talk to for the moment. "How are we going to get him back for it? Should we sabotage one of his dates, and make him suffer? Or should we just let nature take its course?"

James clapped his hands and giggled when Harry said "let nature take its course." And Harry smiled.

"You're absolutely right. He'll get what's coming to him in the end. Hermione is happy with someone else now."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine;

Draco sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and looking out the window. He was looking at the trees, and thinking about nature, and how it was so beautiful. It was a bit out of character for him to think about such things, but Mother Nature had given the world so many beautiful things, it was strange to think about.

He sighed, and put his mug down, tugging a hand through his hair out of frustration.

Weaslebee was cheating on Hermione. He had seen it on the front page of the _Prophet_. There was a picture of Weasley kissing some blonde in front of the Eiffel Tower. Why would someone do that to Hermione? Who would sink so low?

He had only noticed the ridiculously gaudy engagement ring on her finger the week before, and he realized that it had to be from Weasel. How could she not be engaged to him? Draco knew about their past. The whole Wizarding world did. It was all over _Witch Weekly_ and _WQ _ and event the _Prophet _ was keeping track of the "Two thirds of the Golden Trio" who were "hopelessly and irrevocably in love with each other." It was bloody ridiculous. But he decided to act like the ring wasn't even there, to save himself from heart break.

Draco knew that he was falling back in love with Granger. But that was never his intention. He had been out of the country for so long, playing it safe and lying low, trying to keep himself as well as the people that he loved safe, and then the break out happened. Hermione was the first one he thought of to go to go help him. He needed someone that he could trust. He needed someone he could go to who he knew would help him. His father was shut up in Azkaban, having embezzled millions of Galleons from the Ministry, and his mother was in a right state of depression.

And it's not like Hermione was cheating on Ron. They hadn't done anything. They had only ever fallen asleep with each other, that was innocent. Nothing was going on between them at all. Even though their feelings for each other were returning without the other's knowledge.

Draco didn't understand how Hermione could stay with someone like Weasel. He wasn't right for her at all. He wasn't her type. He was arrogant, and a show off, and he wasn't intelligent. Hermione needed someone that could challenge her intellectually as well as physically. Not someone who didn't know the difference between water and Verituserum.

He sat back in thought, and took another sip of coffee, searching through his mind to remember when he had first noticed that she wasn't 'just another Mudblood' who wasn't worth his time. He supposed it was after she had punched him in the face, but he wasn't sure. There wasn't an exact, defining moment. It had grown through the years of her being smarter than he.

A Muggle-born being smarter than a Pureblood in magic was unheard of in his house. And that was why he fell for Hermione Jean Granger.

Because the Slytherin prince didn't always want to please his parents.

So, when they were selected as Head Boy and Girl, when they returned their sixth year, he made it his mission to fall in love with her, and for her to fall in love with him. And he succeeded. By the end of the year, they were so in love with each other, that nothing could tear them apart. Not even their friends. Not that their friends knew. It was kept a secret for the most part.

He was wondering how long he could hide his newly stirred feelings for her.

"Draco?" Hermione asked, walking out of their room and rubbing sleep out of her eyes. He had let her sleep late, because she had looked excessively tired recently, and she desperately needed the rest.

He scrambled to hide the newspaper from her, and stood up, holding his arms out for a good morning hug.

"What was in the _Prophet_ that you're trying so desperately to hide from me?" she asked, not paying attention to his outstretched arms and walking to the kitchen table. He slid the paper out of her reach.

"Nothing." He said, a little too quickly. "So, do you want some breakfast? I'm rather good at making cereal –"

" No." she said, cutting him off. "I would like to read the paper, though. Can I see it, please?"

"There was nothing interesting, love. Only the International Quidditch League scores."

"I'd like to see for myself, thank you." She said.

"Don't you have a book?" he asked, picking up the paper and folding it under his arm. He didn't want her to get hurt because of one person's stupidity.

"Draco Abraxas Malfoy you give me that paper right now." she said, her eyes flashing with anger. She didn't like to ask twice.

"But love –"

"Give it. To me. Now."

He sighed. "Don't say I didn't try to warn you."

Hermione took the paper from his hand, and looked at the cover page. Ron was pulling the blonde towards him again, and their lips were locking in an embrace so passionate that no one would be able to doubt they were in love. Hermione's eyes instantly filled with tears, and she ran out of the room, covering up a sob, but just barely doing so.

Draco shook his head. He had tried to protect her, but she ignored him, as per usual.

He decided to stay in the kitchen, and let her be alone for a while. Usually that's what she needed when she was upset, time to think. Time to be by herself, and not worry about showing her emotion around others. He knew the Gryffidor Princess well.

And he was right.

"I never expected this from him." She said, sitting across from Draco. "I thought he would just leave, not cheat."

"Well, you know Weasley. His mind is an enigma only other Weasleys can decode."

She laughed drily. "Probably."

"Cheer up, love." He said. "At least you don't have to worry about feeling guilty for leaving him. He's shacking up with someone new already."

Her eyes filled with tears again.

"Wrong thing to say. What I meant is that, you're both in love with another person. You don't have to feel bad about it now. You can leave him now, and he'll never know that you're in love someone else. You can leave him for cheating on you."

"How do you know that I'm in love with someone else?"

"I don't – I just – I just assumed –"

"And what happens when you assume?" Hermione said with a smile.

"It makes an ass out of you and me." he said, hanging his head. He had lost anything that was letting him dare to hope with that simple sentence.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

Ginny Potter was on a mission. Her hair was whipping out behind her, like a sheet of fire, and her eyes were glowing with anger. She was on her way back to the Burrow, to speak with her mother about something close to her heart.

She gripped and re-gripped her wand three or four times.

"Gin, act rationally –" Harry began, trying to calm her down a little. James was settled in Harry's arms as Ginny made her way, in a speedy walk, across a field towards her childhood home. Harry knew she was angry, and she was scary when she was angry. But this anger was going to be nothing compared to Molly's anger.

"Harry Potter don't you dare tell me what to do right now." she shot at him, angrily, over her shoulder as she reached the front door. She didn't even knock, she just stormed through the door.

Ron's arrow on the clock was pointing at "Mortal Peril."

"Mum!" Ginny said, called, angrily. Harry was close behind her. "Mum! Can you come here? I need to talk to you!"

Harry was disappointed. Usually Molly had something delicious on the table for him to munch on when he came to visit, but this was no ordinary visit. His wife was in a fury, and his mother in law was sure to be too. So he, like the smart man he was, went and hid in Arthur's tool shed, where he found Arthur doctoring up an electric circuit. His hair was standing on end, after having been shocked several times.

Mrs. Weasley came down the stairs. Her face was flushed and angry. Ginny went to her mother, and grabbed her hand.

"Is this about –?"

"Yes. Did you see –?"

"What are we going to do about it?" Ginny asked. Molly didn't hesitate to clutch her daughter's hand tighter, and spin on the spot.

They landed in Ron's flat not even a second later, and they didn't even bother to take off their shoes. The flat was clean, though.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley shouted at the top of her lungs. So loudly, in fact, that Ginny made a move to cover her ears.

Ron staggered out of his room a few moments later, to see what all of the commotion was about, and then a look of sheer terror crossed his face. He let out a quiet scream, and ran back into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Ginny and Mrs. Weasley looked at each other, and then they moved through the apartment quietly, but quickly.

"No, Mr. Weasley." Harry said, shaking his head and putting James down on a surface that seemed stable enough for an infant. The thing about Mr. Weasley, was that you never knew when something was going to fly away, or spontaneously combust.

"What did I do wrong?" Mr. Weasley said, looking at Harry. He had confusion written on his face.

"You can't connect the red and blue wires." Harry said, shaking his head again. "You have to connect the blue wire to the blue wire and the red wire to the red wire."

"Ah." Mr. Weasley said, understanding. "Thank you Harry. This eclectic humdinger had me genuinely puzzled."

"I could see that." Harry said, smiling. "If I hadn't been raised by Muggles, and known all of that stuff, I'm sure you would have been in St. Mungo's a fair few times."

Mr. Weasley laughed, and connected the wires, and Ginny came through the door to the shed.

"Is Ron at least alive?" Harry asked her, hopefully.

"Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies." She said with a smile.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

Hermione was laying in the grass, taking in the sweet smell of nature, and looking up above her at the clouds as they moved along, lazily, enjoying the sunny day as much as she was. There was still a little bit of dew on the grass, and it was sparkling in the light that was streaming through the trees. It had a sweet smell to it, and the leaves were beginning to change color. It was almost November, she assumed. They had been there for almost a month.

It had been almost a week since she had found out that Ron was cheating on her. In that time, she had taken her ring down to the little pond where her dad used to take her, and had thrown it into the water, and it was going to stay there forever. Ron had broken her trust, even though they were both out of love with each other, and in love with another, he had still broken her trust, and he wasn't going to get it back any time soon.

She was falling back in love with Draco Malfoy. She knew she was. Her heart skipped a beat every time she saw him, which was quite often. And she moved a little closer to him every night when they fell asleep and he held her in his arms. He made her feel so safe, and loved. It was just like it was when they were in Hogwarts together, and sometimes, she found herself wondering if she ever actually stopped loving him. If her feelings for Ron were even real when they were together, or if she was just faking them because that's what the world was expecting to happen. Everyone thought it would. Ron and Hermione would get married, and Harry and Ginny would get married, and everyone would live happily ever after.

It was stupid, and ridiculous, and heaven knows that the press basically forced she and Ron together. They were photographed together everywhere they went, even if it was just out to lunch as friends. They had decided to start dating to shut everyone up. After a while, she actually started to develop feelings, or what she thought were feelings, for the youngest Weasley boy. And then she grew out of the feelings, and fell out of love with him. She didn't understand why she had ever agreed to marry him in the first place, and she wondered how long he had been seeing another woman without her knowledge.

"Mione?" Draco asked, walking outside and laying down in the grass next to her. He loved seeing her like this, laying in the grass and staring at the sky. It made her seem so much more real to him, and so much more of a complexity. She had a reason for everything she did, but sometimes he stopped and wondered what they were.

"Hi." She said, smiling and turning her head towards him. She looked at him for a moment, studying his face, and then she looked back up at the sky. "My dad and I used to do this all of the time." She said. "We would look at the sky, and look for pictures in the clouds, we used to find the strangest things. Once, dad swore he saw a lion attacking a giraffe, but I never believed him."

"Interesting." Draco said. He too looked up at the sky. "When I was a child, I was never allowed out to play, and there were no other children around to play with, even if I wanted too. We lived far away from any society."

"What about Crabbe and Goyle?" Hermione asked, still looking at the sky. "They were your friends."

"No." Draco said, shaking his head. "They weren't. I didn't have very many good friends. They were just idiots that hung around me because our fathers were friends. I hated them. They were so stupid. You couldn't have an intelligent conversation with them."

"Of course." Hermione said, turning so she was laying on her side. "For some reason, I suspect that your childhood isn't what you came out here to talk to me about."

"And you would be right." He said, standing back up and taking a few steps away from her. "I need to tell you something."

"Alright." She said, standing and walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind him and kissed his shoulder. "Tell me."

"There was a reason that the Death Eaters were after me." He muttered. He hung his head, and stepped out of her grip, keeping his back towards her.

"Draco, look at me while you tell me." She said. "I don't like it when people have their backs turned, you know that."

He turned towards her, and she walked close to him again. He didn't look her in the eye, and that made her nervous.

"Remember how I had my initiation sixth year?" he muttered, unconsciously itching his left arm. The Dark Mark had faded now, and it no longer functioned the way it used too, but it was still there and he hated it. "The same night as my initiation, they chose me as Voldemort's successor. At first, it was so appealing to me. You know how loyal to my parents I was, and how much I hated Muggle-borns and blood traitors. How much I hated you and Weasley and Potter."

Hermione nodded, fear building inside of her. He was chosen as a successor to the Darkest wizard of all time?

"I was okay with it, until I was given the task of killing Dumbledore, and then told I would be killed shall I fail. I was scared. Terrified, even. I didn't know what to do. So I made half-assed attempts, and meanwhile, I was falling in love with you. Head over heels, in so deep I couldn't breathe, love with you. I knew then I couldn't do it. I couldn't be his successor. I couldn't even face him, let alone succeed him. And if they had known that I was completely in love with a Muggle-born, I would've been killed on the spot."

Her fear began to grow.

"After the final battle," he continued slowly. "I knew I had to go into hiding, because I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do what they asked of me. I wasn't going to be able to do anything that was going to end up hurting you. So I did the only thing I could think of. I ran, and I was doing rather well for myself when the break out happened. I had a decent job, and a steady income, of course I never even looked at another girl, not after having you. I wouldn't have been able to be with someone else." He took a breath. "Anyway, after the break out, Rudolphus and his brother found me. Father was still in Azkaban for that bit of embezzlement he did a few years ago. They tried to capture me, and it was two against one. I killed them both. But not with an Unforgiveable curse. A Reducto to the heart. I didn't mean to kill them. I didn't want to kill them. But I was scared, and alone, and they were trying to capture me too. I'm sure that if I kept refusing them, they would've killed me.. I couldn't be a part of their games anymore. I'm not who I was six years ago."

He walked towards her and tried to wrap her in his arms, but she pushed him away. Her fear was still in the pit of her stomach.

"Get away from me!" she screamed at him. "I can't.. How can you even touch me! You foul, loathsome, evil cockroach!"

"Déjà vu." He mumbled. Then he pulled her towards him and put his hands on her face, making her stay still for a moment. He could see the fear in her eyes.

"Mione, it's me." He said softly. He brushed her beautiful brown locks out of her eyes. "You know me. You know that I want nothing to do with them, and their games. You know me, love."

They heard a crack in the woods before she could answer him, and they both jumped, looking to their left, where the noise came from. There were three men, dressed in black, walking around the cottage, with their wands out. They turned their heads, and looked directly at Draco and Hermione.

For a moment, Hermione was even more scared, scared that her enchantments didn't work, and that they were going to be forced into a duel. But the Death Eater shouted orders at the other two, and continued on with their search.

"I know what you're thinking." She said to Draco quietly. "Harry said stay here, and not to leave for anything. That he would come find me – us. We have to listen to him. I trust him. He's my best friend."

He nodded and pulled her closer to him.

"I'm scared." She whispered to him. He rested his forehead on hers and sighed. Closing his eyes and wrapping her into his arms.

"I am, too."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

Two weeks had gone by since the incident in the woods with the confession and the Death Eaters. Draco had questioned relocation every single day since then, but Hermione had stood her ground, and told him that she trusted Harry, and she wanted to listen to him, and her instincts. Even though they had seen Death Eaters there, her instincts told her that they weren't in any danger, so they were right where they needed to be. Draco told her that her instincts were crazy, and stormed out of the room. It was good to have the old Malfoy back.

She had sent an owl to Harry, and he had told her that the Auror office had already placed tracking spells on all of the Death Eaters, and that they knew that there were some in America. He also had told her that if anything had happened, the Auror Office and the Department of Magical Transportation had already approved International or Transatlantic Apparation and Portkeys, so they could be there within minutes.

Harry trusted Hermione to listen to him, and to stay put, and in turn, Hermione trusted Harry and all of the steps he had taken to ensure their safety.

Harry had also told her that he knew of Ron's affair with the Veela girl, and currently wasn't speaking to him. He also had become a bit of an outcast amongst the Weasleys, because they all knew how much it was going to hurt her for him to be with another woman, even if the feelings of love weren't there. They knew that Ron no longer had Hermione's trust, and that made them all upset, because Hermione was like another daughter to them.

"Hermione." Draco said, entering the lounge, where Hermione was. She was looking out the window at the rain, and sipping a cup of hot chocolate she had made for herself earlier. "I want you to go to the study, and stay there until I say."

He had a note of humor in his voice, and she laughed, turning around in her chair. "Whatever for, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, amused.

"I am making you dinner tonight." He said with a smile. "I already have three books of substantial length on the desk. They should keep you preoccupied for a few hours."

"A few hours?" she said, laughing. "What exactly are you making?"

"Spaghetti." He said, grinning. "I say a few hours, because I need to figure out how to work that cooker thing that makes the water bubble when it's in a pot? I don't know what the bloody thing is called."

"A stove?"

"Yes. That." He said, nodding. "We had the House Elves cook for us. I never learned how to use these things. But I promise, I am intelligent enough to not blow up the cottage."

"If you say so."

"I say so, now. To the study. I have also picked out a dress for you to wear. It's a candlelight dinner you see."

About two hours later, Hermione was seated at the kitchen table, which had been lined with a white table cloth, and had two candles placed in the center. The plates and silverware had been transfigured into fine china, and there was a lovely serving of spaghetti on her plate.

"This is delicious." She said, smiling at Draco and taking a bite. "You should be a chef."

"Not bad for my first time using that blasted thing." He said. "I thought I was doing it the wrong way a fair few times, but then the water started to bubble, and I knew I was doing it right." He grinned proudly.

"Of course." She said, giggling and taking another bite of spaghetti. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, there must be a reason behind this dinner. You always have a reason for doing nice things for me."

"You know me so well." He said, smiling. "I wanted to impress you."

"And why would that be?"

He was quiet for a moment, and then he looked her in the eyes.

"Because, I wanted to tell you, that I am still in love with you." He said softly. "Hermione, I never stopped."

She looked at her plate for a moment, breaking the intense gaze he had fixed on her, and then she looked back up into his eyes, realizing what she had known all along.

"I never stopped either."

He stood up then, and walked to her chair, getting down on his knees in front of her. "Hermione Jean Granger, I swear to you, I am going to love you until the day I take my last breath, and if it's possible to love wherever I end up afterwards, I am going to love you there too. I swear to you, Hermione. I meant what I said in the Final Battle, about marrying you, and having children with you. I want all of those things more than you can even imagine. With you."

"I want those with you too." She said softly. "I love you, Draco Abraxas Malfoy."

He kissed her lips softly, and pulled her up out of her chair gently, making her stand up with him. Their kiss became more passionate, and he slid his tongue across her lips, begging her to let him in, and she did so with a soft moan, tangling her hands into his hair.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her up a little ways. Her dress wasn't very long, or tight, so she was able to wrap her legs around his waist tightly, keeping herself wrapped around him as he carried her to the bedroom, kissing up and down her neck and peppering her face with kisses softly. She pulled his hair, and brought his face back to hers, kissing his lips again softly and biting his lip.

He opened up his mouth and took in the sweet taste of her. He had missed it so much, and he never realized it until he actually had her again. It had been so long, so, so long, and he couldn't stand it any longer.

They crashed down onto the bed, Draco catching his weight on his arms so he didn't crush Hermione, and her fingers instantly went to the buttons on his shirt. He kissed up and down her neck softly, and Hermione felt like her skin had been set on fire.

His hands wandered, slipping under the skirt of her dress, and stroking the soft skin of her thighs. His hands were warm, and strong and his fingertips danced up and down her legs slowly, pulling her farther and farther into the feelings she had been denying for so long. The feelings that were finally coming to the surface.

"The Gryffindor princess doesn't wear panties?" he said with a smirk in his voice. He took his hands out from her skirt, and let them travel up her body once again, running them up her sides and pressing himself against her as she attacked his neck with kisses and bites. She pushed his shirt from his shoulders, her hands shaking, and she slid her hands down his warm back and around to the front of him, tracing over his belt buckle and feeling him over his pants.

He groaned softly and rocked his hips against hers gently, knowing what was going to come. He buried his face into her neck and bit the spot where it met her shoulder softly.

"I want to see you." He said, biting a path up her neck slowly as she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. "I want to feel you."

She moaned at his words, completely surrendering as she felt his fingertips dance up her back to the zipper on her dress. He pulled the slide down slowly, and slid her dress down, dropping it onto the floor carelessly.

"You are so beautiful." He said. His eyes wandered over her body, taking in every curve, every inch of pale skin, and every single freckle that was visible to him. He still knew where to touch her, and where to kiss her, but he loved rediscovering every spot that made her tremble beneath him, and every sound she made when he would kiss her on the sweet spot behind her ear.

He tangled one of his hands into her hair, and wrapped one of her legs around his waist, and rocked against her once. Her body was flush with his, and he tangled his hands into her hair, tugging on it softly and kissing down her neck and across her collarbone. Her skin was hot beneath his touch, and it felt so perfect, so right, that he didn't know how he had gone so long without touching her.

She slid his pants down with haste, his boxers soon following, and she tangled her hands into the strands of blonde that were calling her, and kissed his lips again, slowly this time, with more passion and emotion behind it. She knew that every word he had ever spoken to her was true, and that she would never be alone again.

"Draco…" she muttered against his lips, he slid her leg higher up his back and moaned. The heat between them was almost unbearable.

He nodded, knowing already, and when they became one, they both cried out, staying still for a moment, allowing themselves to enjoy and experience the feelings that were flooding through both of them. Heat and passion and pleasure and love. She kissed his shoulder, and he slid her leg even higher, rocking into her and kissing her lips.

He started out slowly, and gently, filling her up with each move he made. His hands were so warm and gentle on her skin, every touch filled with passion and curiosity. He was enjoying rediscovering her. But, all too soon, she was shaking, and gasping for breath and he was whispering her name into her ear over and over and over, resting his forehead on hers and moaning quietly. His eyes were closed, and it seemed like time stood still as she cried out in ecstasy, breaking the silence in the room for a split moment.

His arms shook, and he felt her hands dig into his back, hard. Her body fit against his so perfectly, like they were carved out of the same piece of marble, and split down the middle. He felt himself surrender more and more to her, and she clung to him tightly, repeating his name over and over. He gave in to his feelings then, and she started to shake with release at almost the exact same moment as he did. He buried his face into her neck, taking in her scent, his body shaking from his own release.

A few minutes passed, and he moved off of her, pulling blankets around them weakly. They were both completely spent, and their eyes were heavy. He kissed her lips softly, pulling her close to him. She rested her head on his chest, and he stroked her hair softly. They both drifted off to sleep in a comfortable silence, knowing that neither one were going to leave the other, and that they could be content together for a long time.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"The only bloody reason I'm speaking to you right now is because we have to go find Hermione." Harry said to Ron, bitterly. They were in the Auror office, preparing to Apparate to New York. Harry had figured out that that was where Hermione and Malfoy had gone, and it was time for them to return home. All of the Death Eaters had been recaptured, and put in higher security vaults, so it was safe for Malfoy to return.

"Oh, come on Harry." Ron said, irritated. "You know as well as I do that Hermione doesn't love me anymore. What was I supposed to do? Wait around for her to break it off with me?"

"It would've been a hell of a lot better than shacking up with some Veela you met on a mission, you prat." Harry spat back. "Anyway, that's not why we're here. We're here to get Hermione."

"Of course." Ron said, nodding. "You don't think she knows, do you?"

"She knows." Harry muttered. "It was all over the _Prophet. _She may be in hiding but you bloody well know that she's going to keep up with what's going on here."

"You're right." Ron said, hanging his head. He didn't want her to find out this way, hell he didn't want her to find out at all. But he knew it would happen at some point, whether he told her or somebody else did. "Where exactly are we going?"

"The Adirondack Mountains. Hermione told me once, that she had a camp there. I bet you anything that's where she is. So, that's where we're going."

Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder, and spun on the spot Disapparating with a 'pop,' and a few moments later, they were standing in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains, with nowhere to begin. But, they landed in this spot for a reason.

"She'll have protected the place with charms." Harry said, looking at the trees. "I'll bet it's around here somewhere."

"There." Ron said, pointing. There was a mark on one of the trees that looked like an "H". how he had seen it, Harry didn't know, but he started walking straight, and without his knowledge, he passed through her protective enchantments, and the cottage came into view. Ron was close behind him, his wand drawn.

"That's Abraxas." Ron said as an owl flew through an open window and into the cottage. Harry nodded, recognizing the bird. He made his way into the cottage slowly, keeping his wand at chest level in case anyone was around that was dangerous. Ron began checking rooms in the house, while Harry went to the master bedroom. The door was wide open, and what he saw was both shocking, and pleasing.

Hermione was laying, naked, twined around Draco Malfoy. They were both sound asleep, with smiles on their faces. The way their clothes were strewn about the room, and the way that there were still half-eaten plates left on the kitchen table, it was clear to him that they had just had a very passion-filled evening. He was so happy for Hermione, though. She was glad that she was happy.

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted from behind Harry. It was so loud that Hermione and Draco both jumped awake and pulled the covers around themselves tightly. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Making love to my girlfriend, Weaselbee." Malfoy said snidely. "You should know, you've been doing it with yours recently, haven't you?"

"That's my fiancée you're in bed with!" Ron said angrily.

"Ex fiancée." Malfoy said, grinning. "You lost, Weasel. She's with me, now."

"I never lose." Ron said, his eyes flashing. "Hermione is mine. She always has been, and she always will be."

"I will not marry a man who is sleeping with someone behind my back! And face it Ron, you're a git. And neither of us love each other anymore!"

"You fall out of love with me when I say you do. You filthy little Mudblood!" Ron shouted at her angrily. Harry and Hermione both knew that he didn't mean it. But Draco was out of bed an in his boxers before someone could say "Newts."

"What did you just call her?" he asked, his eyes flashing with anger.

"You heard me." Ron said, his eyes flashing too.

Before Hermione registered what was happening, Draco had balled his hand into a fist, and punched Ron in the jaw. Ron crashed to the floor, and Draco landed on top of him, punching him in the face again. Ron got the wind back in him, and began to hit Draco back.

"Don't – you – EVER – call – her – that!" He shouted between blows to Ron's face. Ro hit Draco hard across the jaw. Draco flew backwards, and Ron pulled his wand.

Hermione, sick of the fighting, cast a shield charm between the two.

"STOP IT!" she screamed at them, tears running down her face. "Stop! You're acting like children!"

Draco was still furious. You could see it in his face and eyes. His hair was flying all over the place, and his wand was drawn. He was breathing heavily, his badly scarred chest was heaving. Ron was shooting daggers at him.

"I can't believe you, Ronald!" Harry said angrily. "How dare you call her that?"

"I don't even know what I was thinking." He said, softly, hanging his head. Hermione's eyes filled with tears, and she left the room.

Ron really didn't mean to call her that. He never, ever thought she was a Mudblood, ever. In his second year, he defended her, and ended up puking slugs for a good three hours. It just hurt him and made him so upset to see her in bed with Malfoy, of all people. His, and supposedly her, enemy. The one that had harassed her, and insulted her every chance he had. He just didn't understand why she had fallen for him. What had made him so special, as to win the affections of Hermione Jean Granger? It had taken Ron years for her to even kiss her, when he had clearly liked her since their fourth year. He just didn't understand, and not understanding hurt him the worst. He wiped a stray tear out of his eye.

He never thought it would hurt this bad. He felt that he lost a best friend.

And he did.

"You got your happy ever after ever, mate. You owe her hers." Harry said. Ron started to grumble something about the "Weasley is our King" song and it sounded something like "if he ever sings that bloody song again..."

He immediately tried to follow Hermione, to apologize, and explain, but Malfoy stopped him in his tracks, speaking to him in a threatening tone.

"Don't." Draco said as Ron tried to follow her. "Don't go near her." Ron stayed put, he didn't want a fat lip to match his purple eye.

Draco sighed, and left the room, finding Hermione outside by the pond in the woods. She was looking across the water to the other side, just staring into the distance, her arms wrapped around herself. She had a blanket over her shoulders.

"Mione?" Draco said, quietly, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her shoulder. "Love, what's wrong?"

"He called me a Mudblood, and hit you." She said, sniffling. "He is such a child. When he doesn't get his way, he runs to his mummy. He's an okay friend, but I can't take it. I don't want to marry him. I can't marry him."

"Then marry me." Draco whispered into her ear, kissing the spot just blow her earlobe. He took a ring out of his pocket, and slipped it onto her finger. He had been carrying it around for the past two weeks. "Marry me, Hermione. Make me the happiest man alive, and be my wife."

She turned around in his arms, and kissed his lips softly. "Okay."


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue;

It had been three years since they had returned to England. Hermione and Draco had gotten married two weeks after their return, and their son, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was born nine months later. Hermione made sure that they visited the cottage in the mountains regularly ever since it had provided them shelter from, what surely would have been their deaths.

Things hadn't been the same between her and Ron ever since the fight between he and Malfoy. They hadn't really spoken much, even though she still made her weekly visit to his parent's house and he was often there with his daughter, Rose, they had gained their friendship back, but it was fragile, nothing like it was before. He had married Evangeline the previous year, and as far as Hermione knew, they were happy, and in love, and Evangeline loved it when Ron bought her expensive gifts and things. It was nice that he had two girls to spoil.

Hermione smiled as she watched Scorpius place with Harry's son, James. They were at the park for the day, and they were chasing each other on the grass, their wobbly legs giving out every now and then, causing them to fall and erupt with laughter. She was happy that she didn't lose Harry and Ginny out of that mad situation. She had lost Ron, losing one friend was enough for a lifetime. But if she had lost them, she would have gone insane. She loved Draco, and he was her best friend, but sometimes she wanted girl time.

Across the park, she saw a tall, redheaded figure with a blonde beside him. She was pushing a stroller, and they were smiling and laughing at something he had said. Hermione smiled, and spun her modest wedding ring around her finger slowly. She was happy about her decision to marry Draco and become Hermione Malfoy. It was the best thing that could've happened for all of them. Ron was happy. She was happy. Everyone won.

James ran through a pile of sand and Scorpius laughed, clapping his hands. He had a big smile on his face.

"Boom!" he said, giggling madly. "Boom, boom, boom!"

Hermione laughed, and moved so she was sitting on the ground with the boys. She used her wand to build a huge castle out of sand, and watched as James ran through it again, laughing and clapping his hands.

Draco joined them in the grass a few minutes later, and started building castles in the sand for them. He was laughing and smiling.

"I think your son is going to be a great at demolition someday." She said, laughing. "Look at his technique. He picks a spot, and then runs."

"He's going to be a Quidditch player, love." Draco said, smiling and kissing her lips softly. "Don't change his future career path already."

Draco laid back in the grass, and folded his arms under his head, staring at the sky with a bemused smile on his face. "That one looks like a lion attacking a giraffe." He said, laughing and pointing.

Hermione smiled and laid next to him, resting her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. She rested her hand in the center of his chest, and she could feel one of the scars there, barely, through his thin t-shirt.

"Happy?" he asked her, smiling as their son started to climb all over them. He landed on Draco's stomach with a thump, and James, feeling left out, did the same to Hermione. She smiled.

"Happy."


End file.
